Holy Blood Procession, Bruges

The Procession of the Holy Blood, that dates back to at least 1303, takes place in Bruges every yrea on Ascension Day. Althought there have been many changes over the centuries, the heart of the event is the reenactment of the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For as long as anyone can remember, the pageant has been divided into four parts. Legend has it that in 1150, after the second Crusade, Thierry d'Alsace, Count of Flanders, brought the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus back from Jerusalem, to be placed in the Basicila on the Burg. What we know for sure is that the legend contains several elements of popular belief and folklore. The Procession of the Holy Blood was added to the representative list of intagible cultural heritage of humanity (2009).